Clovis library namesake dies at 86

Oct. 4

On this date ...

1899: News was spreading about the recent murder of a sheep herder outside Portales.

Geneologytrails.com provided this account, via the Santa Fe New Mexican:

“E. H. Spinks, justice of the peace at Portales, Chaves county, reports the murder of a sheep herder, Perry Eiland, about 18 miles from Portales.

“The body was found last Thursday, the murder having been committed at least two days before.

“(T)he Sheperd was about 18 years of age and was herding sheep belonging to his brother John Eiland.

“Death was caused by a gun shot wound in the back. There is no clue to the murderer. Rewards amounting to $2,500 have been offered for the apprehension of the unknown murderer.”

If the killer was apprehended it was not reported in the Santa Fe newspaper’s pages over the next few weeks.

1950: The Clovis High School football team was taking it easy this week with no game on the schedule.

“Although there are no serious injuries on the squad, the Wildcats were pretty well used up after last Friday night’s 14-7 win over the Albuquerque Bulldogs,” the Clovis News-Journal reported.

“Nearly everybody on the squad had a bruised or sore place on their body that the ’Cat mentors didn’t want to aggravate.”

The newspaper reported the Wildcats had been watching “motion pictures” of previous games and learning from mistakes.

1951: Less than two hours after they allegedly held up an Elida service station, five men were in the Portales jail awaiting formal charges.

The service station attendant notified Roosevelt County law officers of the robbery and provided a description of the getaway car.

The suspects were nabbed near Eastern New Mexico University in Portales.

1954: Demolition of the old, yellow brick courthouse building began in Clovis. “Constructed in 1910-11 to serve Curry County in its infancy, the building is making way for progress, the construction of a new courthouse annex costing nearly $95,000,” the Clovis News-Journal reported. Cottle Construction Co. was low bidder on the job and had 180 days to complete the demolition and construction of the new courthouse.

1955: The Tower theater in Portales was showing “Love Me or Leave Me,” starring Doris Day and James Cagney.

Coming soon: “The Man From Laramie.” James Stewart starred as “the man who guns his way from the pages of the famed Saturday Evening Post adventure!”

The Tower’s phone number was 214.

1956: John Randolph Carver, a retired minister and Curry County pioneer, died after a short illness.

He was 86.

Carver helped organize Presbyterian churches across New Mexico and he loved libraries.

He donated land that was sold to fund Clovis’ library, which is named in his honor: Clovis-Carver Public Library.

His obituary in the Clovis News-Journal reported he had no known survivors.

1956: A two-car collision in a parking lot on the 300 block of Pile Street in Clovis marked the 481st traffic accident in the city for the year to date. A station wagon belonging to radio station KCLV struck the rear of a four-door vehicle, police said, but no injuries were reported. Damage to the vehicles was estimated at $70.

1957: The Elida senior class play, “Nuts and Bolts,” had been recently performed in the school auditorium, with the actors pressing through the interruption of a false fire alarm.

The play was under the direction of Una Dilbeck. Jim Bob Nuckols served as master of ceremonies and one of the three stage managers. Kent Kidder and Charles Wilson were the other two.

Cast members included Jenny Cooper, Jerry Cryer, Billy Dixon, Marvin Doval, David Graves, Bucky Jones, Elwanda Nicholas, Sue Parrish, Davis Taylor, Arthur Terry, Judy Titsworth, and June Wilson.

The play collected $80 in ticket sales.

1960: A new organization had been formed to “promote greater interest in intercollegiate athletics at Eastern New Mexico University.”

Howard Martin of Clovis was president of the new Greyhound Club. Norris Willis was the club’s vice president.

1966: The Prince Lounge, at 200 N. Prince, invited customers to “Enjoy the World Series in color.” But there wasn’t much time. The Baltimore Orioles swept the LA Dodgers in four games, wrapping up on Oct. 9. The bar’s television also featured college football games on Saturdays.

1968: Veteran big league baseball player Vern Stephens, who was born in the Quay County community of McAlister, died of a heart attack at age 48.

The Society for American Baseball Research reports he was born “prematurely” in McAlister while his parents were moving from Arkansas to California.

After graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School in 1937, Stephens played baseball for a year at Long Beach Junior College. He signed with the St. Louis Browns after that, then reached the big leagues in 1941.

The good glove man with a strong arm played 15 seasons in the majors, compiling a lifetime .286 batting average and 247 home runs.

He was a three-time RBI champion and eight-time All-Star. He played for four different teams, but mostly with the Browns and Boston Red Sox.

In 2007, Redsoxblogspot.com ranked Stephens as the 41st best player in Red Sox history.

1975: Da Hobo Haus in Portales was “Your home-owned pizza place, where you find the original thick hobo crust pizza.”

Da Hobo Haus pizza was “the one others are trying to imitate.”

Customers could call for delivery or pick up their orders at 1117 W. Second St.

1976: The Orient, at 908 Pile, featured food from Thailand, Japan, Korea,the Philippines, China and the Middle East. Open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

1976: Construction of Clovis’ new animal shelter at Brady and Norris streets had been delayed by late delivery of windows.

Animal warden Junior Romero and Police Det. Lance Somers toured the site, which was expected to cost $79,232.

The building, which consisted of 2,895 square feet of floor space, was scheduled to open before the year was out.

1982: The Clovis High School drill team was on the hunt for 13 five-foot ladders to use for its upcoming performance at the homecoming game between the Clovis Wildcats and the Portales Rams.

Sponsor Leslie Scroggins said the ladders could be wood or metal, and she promised they’d be returned to their owners immediately following the game.

Ladder-loaners were asked to contact Scroggins or Julie Brent at the high school.

1990: The Clovis News Journal incorrectly referred to Dr. I.D. Johnson, who lived at High Plains Nursing Home in Clovis, as “the late Dr. I.D. Johnson.”

The newspaper published a correction the next day, reporting it had inadvertently confused Dr. I.D. Johnson with the late Dr. V. Scott Johnson.

1990: Clovis city commission approved, by a 4-2 vote, a proposal to move a liquor license from the 200 block of Prince Street to 701 Prince.

Bar owner Dixie Elizabeth Pettigrew said she needed to move the license because of a lease dispute at the location she’d occupied for 20 years.

About 20 residents attended the meeting to oppose the change, expressing concerns about increased traffic, limited parking and a school bus route that went through the proposed new location.

Commissioners Mike Johnson, Chad Lydick, Isidro Garcia and Gordon Smith approved the change. Commissioners Bill Bollinger and Charlie Anderson opposed. Bobby Moreno was absent.